LoJack System Helps Anaheim Police Department Recover Stolen Mini Cooper within Minutes of Activation with Two Arrests
- June 27, 2019
- Law Enforcement
The
owner of a 2018 Mini Cooper contacted the Garden Grove Police Department to
report his vehicle stolen. The owner did
not see who took his Mini Cooper, but believed his son was possibly
involved. His son had recently been
released from prison and had stolen vehicles from him in the past. Garden Grove PD verified the theft and entered the vehicle information into the state and
federal crime computers which automatically activated the LoJack® System concealed in the Mini Cooper.
Only four minutes later officers from Anaheim PD picked up the silent LoJack
signal from the stolen Mini Cooper with
the LoJack Police Tracking Computers (PTC) that are installed in patrol
vehicles and aircraft. Following the
directional and audible cues from the PTC, the officers tracked the vehicle
to a strip mall in the city of Anaheim.
The patrol officers saw the Mini Cooper being driven through the parking
lot of the strip mall as the officers drove by.
By the time,[PC1] the officers turned around they saw the
Mini Cooper parked in front of a convenience store. The officers could see a front and rear
passenger but there was no driver seated in the Mini Cooper. The officers parked and observed the Mini
Cooper from a distance to see if the driver would return. A short time later the officers saw a male
exit the convenience store and walk up to the passenger side of the vehicle and
appeared to be conversing with the occupants.
The officers believed the subject to be the driver and drove up behind
the Mini Cooper. The officers were able
to detain all three subjects.
The officers interviewed all three subjects. Based on those interviews they determined the subject who was seen walking up to the Mini Cooper from the convenience store was the driver. They also determined the front passenger was the son of the owner. The son told officers he obtained permission from his father the previous night to drive the Mini Cooper so that he could see his parole officer. The son said he went to his father’s house at 4am and found the Mini Cooper unlocked but with no keys. The son said he was able to start the vehicle but did not explain how he did this.
The
officers had the owner respond to the scene.
The owner was told of his son’s statement that he had permission to take
the Mini Cooper. The owner said it was a
lie and that he wanted his son arrested.
The officers arrested both the driver and the son for the theft of the
Mini Cooper. The officers learned the
son had an extensive criminal background with multiple charges. The officers obtained a parole hold on the
son. The Mini Cooper was released to the
owner.
The
LoJack® System was installed in the Mini Cooper in December 2017 at Crevier
Mini, Santa Ana CA.